Site Mobile Navigation

Klan Must Pay $37 Million for Inciting Church Fire

A jury deliberated just 45 minutes today before awarding $37.8 million to a rural black church in a decision against the Ku Klux Klan because the group's message of hate incited the burning of the church.

The award to Macedonia Baptist Church was $12.6 million more than its lawyer had requested. Jurors decided the church had proved that the Klan's rhetoric motivated four former Klansmen to set the fire that destroyed the church in 1995.

The jury of nine blacks and three whites rejected arguments by the Klan's lawyer, Gary White, that the four had acted on their own and the issue was whether the Klan's speech should be protected by the law.

''This verdict is a verdict for Clarendon County,'' said the Rev. Jonathan Mouzon, the church's pastor. ''This wasn't a monetary thing. This was about taking a stand for your rights.''

The church's lawyer, Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center said: ''There are always going to be people who hate. And lawsuits like this make it harder for them to operate.'' The center has won several large verdicts that have bankrupted hate groups.

Horace King, the South Carolina leader of the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, sat stoically as the verdict was read. Mr. King, who must pay $15 million, would not comment as he left the courthouse.

''I don't think it makes much difference as far as the economic award,'' Mr. White said. ''Mr. King is on disability. The only thing it does is take his reputation because he considers himself a law-abiding citizen.''

Mr. Dees said the law center would move quickly to get title to the state headquarters of the Klan, which is a shed on property Mr. King owns.

Mr. Dees said the verdict, $300,000 in actual damages and $37.5 million in punitive damages, was the largest his group has won.

Richard Welch, the younger brother of Timothy Adron Welch, who is serving 12 years in Federal prison for burning the church, was in the courtroom. He blamed the Klan for changing his brother.

''I love my brother,'' Mr. Welch said. ''I hope this trial right here is a sign for every Klan member to stay away from our town. We don't put up with this. We're not going to put up with this.''